Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Open Carry Texas’ Tactics Too Extreme Even for the NRA

The spectrum of gun rights groups runs the gamut. But you know a gun
group has gone too far when even the National Rifle Association is
criticizing it. (Update: The NRA has retracted its criticism – more below.)

That’s the position that Open Carry Texas – which believes citizens
ought to be able to pack any kind of heat in public and in just about
any kind of setting, including bars and political conventions – now
finds itself in.
Open Carry Texas first attracted public notice last week when the group’s armed members were banned from Chipotle franchises as well as Chili’s and Sonic restaurants
after different chapters of the group entered eateries around the state
bearing assault rifles and other firearms. That was followed by a
series of subsequent episodes that upset local Texans, who accused the
group’s members of bullying tactics and intimidation.

All that negative press coverage in a state like Texas appears to
have motivated the NRA to express concern about the nature of the
protests. The group, which supports “open carry” for handguns, on Monday
issued a statement criticizing Open Carry Texas members for having “recently crossed the line from enthusiasm to downright foolishness.”

“[W]hile unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal
in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you
in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a
whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar
arms,” the statement reads.

It continues: “Let’s not mince words, not only is it rare, it’s
downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about
your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are
not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of
firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one’s cause, it can
be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly
open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives
of pro-gun advocates.”

There was good reason to question the motives of at least some of
those involved, it turns out. A Marine Corps veteran and gun rights
supporter, James Henry, got into an argument with Open Carry Texas
supporters on Friday while filming one of their demonstrations in
Dallas. He was followed and verbally harassed by members of the group,
who videotaped him. Now the man is facing death threats and has to himself carry a weapon at all times.

“One said you’re going to wish you had a gun, boy, when I fill you with
holes,” Henry told a Dallas TV station.” “I’m being used on this one
side as a proponent for gun control which I don’t agree with and also
being used as a proponent that I’m some crazy left wing guy, which I’m
not,” he said. He just happens to find the Open Carry tactics repugnant:
“That is not being ambassadors for responsible gun owners to support
gun rights.”

That was followed by another recent incident in which a group of Open Carry Texas supporters showed up fully armed
to protest a women’s anti-gun violence organization, Moms Demand Action
for Gun Sense in America (MDA), at its regular meeting at a Dallas-area
restaurant.

A spokesperson for MDA said that the four mothers who comprised the
gathering were all inside the Blue Mesa Grill when the Open Carry
advocates “pull[ed] up in the parking lot and start[ed] getting guns out
of their trunks,” and then waited in the parking lot for the women to
come out. The women remained inside instead, fearful of “inciting a
riot.” The Open Carry advocates reportedly shifted their operation to a
nearby Hooters after a couple hours.

MDA issued a statement decrying the Open Carry advocates as “gun
bullies,” noting that the four mothers and remaining restaurant
customers were “terrified by what appeared to be an armed ambush.”

The outrageous antics of Open Carry Texas’ supporters provoked a counter-protest
at one of the group’s suburban demonstrations in North Richland Hills,
where a man named Glynn Wilcox and his son showed up with signs opposing
the group’s “intimidation.”

“While everybody has the opportunity to carry open arms, carrying
them in a front forward sling and making a scene of it isn’t showing
you’re trying to get rights,” said Wilcox. “You’re being a bully.”

Open Carry Texas’ stance amid all this controversy has been defiant.
Rather than scale back its aggressive tactics, the group’s leaders
recently called on delegates to arrive fully armed at the Texas state Republican convention later this summer.

As for the NRA, Open Carry Texas’ spokesmen thumbed their noses at the much larger organization and announced on Facebook that they were tearing up their memberships.

“It is unfortunate that an organization that claims to be dedicated
to the preservation of gun rights would attack another organization
fighting so hard for those rights in Texas,” it said. “Already, OCT
members are posting pictures of themselves cutting up their life
membership cards. If they do not retract their disgusting and
disrespectful comments, OCT will have no choice but to withdraw its full
support of the NRA and establish relationships with other gun rights
organizations that fight for ALL gun rights, instead of just paying them
lip service the way the NRA appears to be doing.”

Cox said that the statement was “a
mistake” and that “it shouldn’t have happened,” adding “our job is not
to criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners.” Cox also blamed
the statement on a “staffer” who Cox said “expressed his personal
opinion.” Referencing media interest in the statement, Cox termed it a
“distraction.”

Sara Robinson has worked as an editor or columnist for several national magazines, on beats as varied as sports, travel, and the Olympics; and has contributed to over 80 computer games for EA, Lucasfilm, Disney, and many other companies. A native of California's High Sierra, she spent 20 years in Silicon Valley before moving to Vancouver, BC in 2004. She currently is pursuing an MS in Futures Studies at the University of Houston. You can reach her at srobinson@enginesofmischief.com.